The bidentate yellow-eared bat (''Vampyriscus bidens'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae, native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

. Formerly classified in the ''

Vampyressa ''Vampyressa'' is a genus of bats in the family Phyllostomidae, the leaf-nosed bats. They are known commonly as the yellow-eared bats or yellow-eared vampire bats.Tavares, V., et al. (2014)Systematics of ''Vampyressa melissa'' Thomas, 1926 (Chi ...

genus'', phylogenetic analyses support its inclusion in ''

Vampyriscus ''Vampyriscus'' (meaning: small vampire bat) is a genus of bats in the family Phyllostomidae, the leaf-nosed bats. There are three species previously included in the genus ''Vampyressa''. The two genera are differentiated by the morphology of ...

''.Hoofer, S. R., et al. (2008)
Phylogenetic relationships of vampyressine bats and allies (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) based on DNA sequences of a nuclear intron (TSHB-I2).
''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'', 47(2), 870-876.

Description

Small in size, it measures only in head-body length, and weighs approximately . Males are larger than females. The fur is pale to dark brown over most of the body, becoming slightly paler on the neck and shoulders, and fading to greyish on the underparts. There are white stripes on each side of the face; a broader one above the eyes, and a narrower, less distinct one, running along the cheek. The borders and tragus of the ears, and also the margins of the nose-leaf, are bright yellow. The bat has a short, broad, muzzle, with a prominent, spear-like, nose-leaf. The "bidentate" part of the name refers to the fact that there are normally only a single pair of

incisor Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, w ...

s in the lower jaw, whereas all other yellow-eared bats have two pairs. However, this is not true of all individuals, some of which do have two pairs of lower incisors like their relatives.

Distribution and habitat

The bidentate yellow-eared bat is distributed throughout much of northern South America east of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, including eastern Colombia,

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, southern

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

, northern

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, and throughout the

Guyanas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

. It lives in lowland evergreen forests and swampland between elevation.

Biology

The bidentate yellow-eared bat is herbivorous, feeding on fruit such as

fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

s. It is nocturnal, but flies more often at dusk than before dawn, and during the day it roosts in trees. Young are born in the rainy season.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q21377492, from2=Q1829994 Phyllostomidae Bats of South America Bats of Brazil Mammals of Bolivia Mammals of Colombia Mammals of Ecuador Mammals of Venezuela Mammals described in 1878 Taxa named by George Edward Dobson